info

Rachel Gruijters (1992, NL) is a visual artist working mainly in photography and film with a special interest in memories, cinema and the performative aspects of embodying historically-informed characters.

Human memory starts developing within the first two or three years of a child’s life. When Gruijters was only one year old a life-changing event occurred. She doesn’t remember. Thus she collects, organizes and reinvents memories, unafraid to make up new ones to fill the voids.

A recent work, ‘Ordinary Things (that happened in the childhood home of the maker of this film)’, focuses on traces left in domestic spaces and the memories embedded in them. This is linked to how the home is depicted in Old Hollywood, both in the films as well as in the “private” lives of the stars, paying attention to the artificiality of that home.

In her two most recent works, ‘Bidin’ My Time’ and ‘Casting Couch’, classic cinema again forms an important inspiration, but this time Gruijters links the aesthetics of these times gone by to the present.

cv

2013 – 2015: Master Multimedia Design (Autonome Vormgeving), KASK/ School of Arts, Ghent (BE)
2010 – 2013: Bachelor Multimedia Design (Autonome Vormgeving), KASK/ School of Arts, Ghent (BE)

2021

Vanwege Vincent — de geboortestreek als inspiratiebron, Stedelijk Museum Breda, Breda (NL).
When Yellow Gets Blue
, Van GoghGalerie, Zundert (NL)
DASfest, les ballets C de la B, Ghent (BE)

2019

Wonderland, Oosterzele Kunstroute, Oosterzele (BE)

2017

I Could Have Been A Dancer, BLANCO, Ghent (BE)
Septemberfestival 2017: De invasie, De school van Gaasbeek, Gaasbeek (BE)
Internet 1,- by Patty Morgan x FOAM, Les Rencontres de la photographie, Arles (FR)
Internet 1,- by Patty Morgan, FOAM Fusion Festival, FOAM, Amsterdam (NL)

2016

No Comment, Prestige, Ghent (BE)
Ligament, TOTUM – Bar Bricolage, Ghent (BE)
Open Studio, Dusangneuf Osangsett, Brussels (BE)
Testing 1, 2, 3, ‘t Oude Raadhuis, Beek & Donk (NL)
Arc Fête, Arc, Romainmôtier (CH)

2015

Artevent, pand Artevent, Helmond (NL)
TUMULTINGENT #3, KASK/School of Arts, Ghent (BE)
GRADUATION 2015, KASK/School of Arts, Ghent (BE)
F.A.Q.#3/2015, KASKgalerie (KIOSK), Ghent (BE)

2014

MAP #18: Points of Reference / What is Important?, KASK/School of Arts, Ghent (BE)
Artevent, pand Artevent, Helmond (NL)
De Zwarte Ruiter, Bibliotheek Helmond, Helmond (NL)
Wat Ik Vergat, pand Artevent, Helmond (NL)
, gisteren, KASK/School of Arts, Ghent (BE)

2013

Artevent, Zeezicht, Helmond (NL)
KiesJeKunst-weekend, De Ruimte, Geldrop (NL)
Vrouw in Beeld, De Ruimte, Geldrop (NL)
Acht Gevallen Acht, SOSCASTOA, Ghent (BE)

Ordinary Things (that happened in the childhood home of the maker of this film)

2019: Double Bill, Kouwenbergs kerkje, Aarle-Rixtel (NL)
2019: MICgénero, various locations (MX)
2019: Wonderland, Oosterzele Kunstroute, Oosterzele (BE)
2019: Minikino Film Week 5, Bali (ID)
2019: Elles Tournent / Dames Draaien festival, Cinéma Vendôme, Brussels (BE)
2018-2019: Wunderground Film Festival, Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke (BE)
2018: Hollywood Cinephilia, Film Plateau, Ghent (BE)
2018: Gallery Screening – Artist as a Digital Archivist, Kamloops Art Gallery, Kamloops (CA)
2018: Closed screening for students, part of Artist as a Digital Archivist- project, University of Oslo, Oslo (NO)
2018: Closed screening for students, part of Artist as a Digital Archivist- project, The Norwegian Students’ Society’s building, Oslo (NO)
2018: Avant-première (preview), KASKcinema, Ghent (BE)

Niet vergeten (Do Not Forget)

2019: Double Bill, Kouwenbergs kerkje, Aarle-Rixtel (NL)
2017: Internet 1,- by Patty Morgan x FOAM, Les Rencontres de la photographie, Arles (FR)
2017: Internet 1,- by Patty Morgan, FOAM Fusion Festival, FOAM, Amsterdam (NL)
2016: Ligament, TOTUM – Bar Bricolage, Ghent (BE)
2016: Testing 1, 2, 3, ‘t Oude Raadhuis, Beek & Donk (NL)
2015: GRADUATION 2015, KASK/School of Arts, Ghent (BE)
2015: Rachel Gruijters & Jonito Aerts Arguelles, cc De Schakel, Waregem (BE)
2015: Elsewhere Video Art Night 02, TRAVAK Brabant Tram, Ghent (BE) 2015: YOUKI International Youth Media Festival, Wels (AT)

April 2021: Van Gogh AIR, Zundert (NL). One month, project: When Yellow Gets Blue.
April/May 2020: Workspace Brussels, Brussels (BE). Two weeks, project: All Singing, All Dancing (working title). [Cancelled due to covid-19]
March 2019: De school van Gaasbeek, Gaasbeek (BE). One week, project: All Singing, All Dancing (working title).
June – Aug 2016: Dusangneuf-Osangsett, Brussels (BE). Three months, project: Fake It ‘Till You Make It (working title).
Feb. 2016: Arc Residency, Romainmôtier (CH). One month, project: Fake It ‘Till You Make It (working title).
Dec. 2015: Freemde Fogel Festival, Den Hout (NL). One week, project: Achter dorpse deuren, a collaboration with Kitty Bons.

2022: Granted support by Amarte Fonds, work: Casting Couch
2021: Granted support by Josine de Bruyn-Kops Fonds (Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds), work: Casting Couch
2020: Selected for the Go Short Campus, work: All Singing, All Dancing. [cancelled due to covid-19]
2019: Nomination for ‘Programmer’s Choice’ at Minikino Film Week 5, work: Ordinary Things (that happened in the childhood home of the maker of this film)
2017: Granted support by VAF – Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, work:
Ordinary Things (that happened in the childhood home of the maker of this film)
2016: Successfully crowdfunded at Voordekunst, work: Fake It Till You
Make It (later titled: Ordinary Things (that happened in the childhood home of the maker of this film))
2015: Nomination stichtingsprijs René Bruynseraede De Witte, work: Ik zou je het liefste in een doosje willen doen

When Yellow Gets Blue, Rachel Gruijters, Witte Rook, 16-06-2021. Author: Esther van Rosmalen.
Ordinary Things de Rachel Gruijters
, Cinergie, 25-01-2019. Author: Fred Arends.
Nieuw-klassiek, Vertigo, 11-2018. Author: Christophe Verbiest.
Passie pensioneert nooit voor Rachel Gruijters, Passie pensioneert nooit, 22-09-2017. Authors: Peter de Kuster & Rachel Gruijters
Rachel Gruijters, Women CineMakers (Special Edition, vol 6), 09-2017. Authors: Bonnie Curtis & Jennifer Rozt Druhn.
Rachel Gruijters, Workplaces Project, 05-12-2016. Editor/photographer: Alexandra Colmenares Cossio.
The staged world of Ghent-based artist Rachel Gruijters, The Word Magazine, 16-08-2016. Author: Dorien Schelfhout.
The two artists currently in our residency house, The Word Magazine, 20- 06-2016. Author: Dorien Schelfhout.
Radio interview on Radio Kontakt, 19-06-2016.
Tentoonstelling “Testing 1, 2, 3” van Rachel Gruijters in ’t Oude Raadhuis, Mooi laarbeek, 16-06-2016.
Monument voor Moeder, Eindhovens Dagblad, 27-11-2014. Author: Rob Schoonen. Photo by Ton van de Meulenhof.
Fascinatie voor herinneringen, ZondagNieuws Helmond, 07-09-2014. Author: Alfredo Spiero.
Fotografe maakt eigen beelden van toneelstuk, Eindhovens Dagblad Helmond Plus, 03-09-2014. Author: Hans van de Ven.
D!NG One Year Anniversary Issue, D!NG Magazine, 07-07-2014. Editor: Jolien Dirix.

2021: Member of jurypanel for Master in Theatre degree at Toneelacademie Maastricht (NL)
2020: Member of jurypanel for Master’s seminar Slapstick attitudes: popular entertainment and the avant-gardes at School of Arts Ghent (BE) Lecturer: Hilde D’haeyere.
2019: Lecture and workshop at Dr. Knippenbergcollege, Helmond (NL), in collaboration with Maureen Jonker.
2019: Research Margaret Herrick Library, Los Angeles (US)
2019: Lecture/introduction for Kinoclub #11: Blonde Venus (1932), organized by Kinoautomat and hosted by KASKcinema, Ghent (BE).
2019: Member of jurypanel for Master’s seminar Slapstick attitudes: popular entertainment and the avant-gardes at School of Arts Ghent (BE) Lecturer: Hilde D’haeyere.
2017: Lecture and workshop at Dr. Knippenbergcollege, Helmond (NL), in collaboration with Maureen Jonker.
2016: Research at Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin (MDCB), Berlin (DE). 2016: Research at Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire (BCU), Lausanne (CH).
2016: Member of jurypanel for Master’s seminar Slapstick attitudes: popular entertainment and the avant-gardes at School of Arts Ghent (BE) Lecturer: Hilde D’haeyere.

Stay in Touch

Email: info@rachelgruijters.com
Phone: +316 57 12 50 88

KVK: 82985901

Studio is based in Zundert (NL). Feel free to get in touch about a studio visit.

Sometimes I send out updates on how I’m doing with my work. These updates are irregular and few and far between, but created with love. Would you like to receive these? Then please fill out this form: